Love of Money

The value of all money equals the value of all goods and services supported by it. There are also negatively valued goods, and services that degrade the value of money. For money to retain its value it has to be spent. Economy is spending money well. Money spent on human betterment is well spent.

The love of money is widely recognized as a path to bad behavior. There are philosophical, and biblical references that characterize the love of money as a sinful, or an evil force that tempts people to misbehave. This interpretation is economically problematic. Money is what people use to serve, and protect each other. We need to love it more, not less.

Money is a value placed on goods, and services. The value ranges from lethal to wonderful. Money is also used as a possession. The more money is used as a possession the lower its economic value. Monetary value is not determined by a bank or a country. By nature, It would automatically be placed on anything that is used to facilitate fair trade. It could be seashells, wampum, bitcoin, or any kind of currency. Equity over time increases value.

Economy is the monetary application of the golden rule. When money is turned into property, it is removed from the economy. Fewer people are using fewer resources to treat other people well. Money used as a possession has potential economic value, positive, or negative. While the money is used as a possession, however, it is withheld from the economy, and the economy has insufficient funds.

Love is a protective force. People protect people they love. They protect activities they love. They protect things that they love. Can you see a pattern? Money needs to be protected from misuse. If it isn’t spent for humanity, it is spent against it. Love of money, the value, creates natural economic force. Love of money, the possession, is harmful. It is the major source of injustice.

Love is empathetic. Loving money is loving humanity, when money is a value, but not when it is a possession. Money not spent empathetically is the problem. We need to protect money from people who either purposely or carelessly misuse it.

When money is removed from the economy, people just try to get more, but that is ineffective. If a gas tank leaks, refilling the tank doesn’t help. The hole has to be fixed. It takes a lot of gas to keep a leaky tank full. Failing to protect money, causes an economic leak that wastes many lives, and the habitat they share. It causes vulnerable people to suffer, and die early, and it causes people to become ineffective at charting a humane future.

It matters where money comes from, and where it goes. When money is withheld from the economy, it starts a contest. The more money you can get, the more prizes you receive. Of course the young, the old, and the vulnerable have no way to compete. Some people live in a war zone, they can’t compete, and many people were injured in the free-for-all. They too, are unable to compete.

Protecting money is protecting people. If money isn’t protected, all people lose because the single environment that we all share is trashed when money isn’t protected. Money is economic sap. It has to flow through the stem of personhood to protect the flower of life.

Prayers are answered with money. Money that is used for the toilet paper of inhumanity will not answer prayers. Protect money. Don’t blame money for the inhumanity of its misuse. Love money.